Non-Attachment

"Today there are again developments which practice coercion of the conscience, in small things as well as in major issues. In many fields of life, with all kinds of motives, coercion of the conscience is flourishing anew. Tyranny is exercised by families, for instance, and in many other countries by groups.

We are also thinking, here, of the inhabitants of the reflection-sphere and the life-waves which populate the etheric domain, of those who dwell on other planets and of the aeons and the archons of the aeons. Among them are those who have become extremely powerful as creatures and who glorify themselves with the names of gods, or who are awarded such names by others. There are also the hordes of perpetrators of the Great Game.

In short, there are myriads of creatures with myriads of possibilities for betrayal, deceptions and coercion. And all of them are telling you: "We possess The Good".

And now we consider the Seeker, in the ocean of life, as a creature among fellow creatures. It is as if he has been submerged, and is being tossed to and fro by the waves.

Most of you have been genuine Seekers since your youth. You have been searching everywhere, haven't you? And think of all the vast quantities of literature that you have devoured! And isn't it true to say that it was as if by coincidence, through a combination of circumstance beyond your control, that you came into contact with the Spiritual School of the Golden Rosycross?

What should the candidate do amidst the fire of his seeking? Where should he go? What is being done to him? Where are the tides of life driving him? Thousands of voices ring in his ears: "The Good is here!' What will become of him? For in the totality of creation, evil takes many forms. That is why the observation is made in the tenth book of Hermes that what is considered good here, in the world of dialectics, is at best the smallest part of evil.

Who could distinguish the truth among all these wraith-like forms, among all those shadowy notions which present themselves to us? Who is able to see through all that pretense, all that delusion, all that nefariousness? How could one possibly make sense of all that immeasurable chaos? Who could remain standing in the midst of these wildly proliferating dangers? Surely it is not possible?

Yes, it is possible! The contents of the tenth book of Hermes are intended to help you in this, since they are directed at the person who wishes to become an Aesclepius. The fact that the Only Good is autonomous, the fact that the Only Good and its mighty radiation are completely separate from all created things, the fact that the Only Good does not share in the delusive nature of creation in any way whatsoever, the fact that the Only Good is unique in its absolute, eternal purity and that nevertheless the Godhead irradiates the whole of creation, the whole of chaos with its Mighty Light and no place can be found where It is not present - that, and that alone enables the Seeker, Aesclepius, to remain himself and find his way through the labyrinth.

We have already given you the necessary directions. If you wish to become a priestess or a priest of the Gnosis, if you want to be an Aesclepius, a healer of mankind, then do not be attached to anything, neither by love, nor especially by hate. Be purely objective, well-disposed to the last, but not attached. Do not listen to any voice, any impulse, any suggestion. Our words, too, you should not accept a priori as true. Be of goodwill, and remain unbiased until from within you discover something of the truth.

We repeat: do not listen to any voice, do not pursue the fleeting urge of your sensory organism. Stand without conceit as an autonomous creature  amid the All-Manifestation. But at the same time, be extremely watchful, for as soon as you begin to enter into detachment, the entire host of aeons and archons will fall upon you. Many gods of creation, many entities who have achieved great power, will take an interest in you.

No one is good, not even one. Therefore, we stand in non-attachment. The Godhead, the mighty all-fulfilling Godhead can only touch us with Its radiation in this state of objectivity and non-attachment. Only in this way can Its radiative plenitude transmit to us in purity the message of the All.

As long as you still exist in the nature-born state, you should not connect yourself with anything. If you do, you will always be victimized.

Bear in mind the familiar warnings in the holy language: "Be faithful, but trust no one. Do not believe in every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are from God" says John. These two pieces of advice are very hermetic. If you follow them, no harm will come to you. If you do not, grief and pain will assail you, and go on assailing you, for grief and pain are part of evil."

From "The Path Of Self-Surrender" - The Egyptian Arch-Gnosis, Vol. III - Jan van Rijckenborgh
                            
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The Path of Return includes a phase of preparation for unification with The Only Good. It requires one to be devoted to the Rose of the Heart. If one can devote one's self to the Rose of the Heart, unconditionally, accepting all requirements and consequences, one will be developing the autonomy required to withstand the attempts of the natural-world to deceive and dissuade.

The aim is to have the head become subordinate to the heart. We call this state-of-being "self-surrender". The aim of self-surrender is to open the head sanctuary for Spirit, for The Only Good. Self-surrender can only be put into practice through a dedicated attitude of non-attachment.

~ g
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